Joining or Aligning With a Physician-led Integrated Health System

Whether you are a resident at the end of your training, a physician who is considering a practice setting change or a physician in an independent small practice setting looking for an alignment strategy with an integrated system, a physician-led integrated health system may be the right fit for you.

To understand what a physician-led integrated health system is and whether it may be a good practice option for you, the AMA has provided the guide, Joining or Aligning with a Physician-led Integrated Health System. It gives basic information and an easy roadmap to help you decide whether you want to join or align with a physician-led integrated health system.

Tips for Evaluating & Assessing the Performance of a System

In evaluating the performance of a physician-led integrated health system, there are several important aspects to consider:

The system’s mission & strategic plan

Governance & culture

Organizational structure

Commitment to quality & value

Use of IT & evidence-based medicine

Compensation, Metrics & Measurement

With the move away from fee-for-service to value-based payment, value metrics will provide additional variables to physician compensation structures. It is important to understand how the health system’s compensation structure is constructed.

Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) implemented the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and advanced alternative payment models (APMs). If you are considering joining a physician-led integrated health system, the guide provides questions to ask organizations on how they plan to address key changes resulting from this law.

Print Copies of the Guide for Your Organization

For organizations that want to print multiple copies of the guide, a professional printer version is available by emailing Carrie Waller at [email protected].

Please note that AMA holds the copyright for the Joining or Aligning with a Physician-led Integrated Health System guide, and all rights are reserved, however, this work may be made available and distributed in electronic and hardcopy formats for any noncommercial, educational purpose without obtaining the explicit permission of the American Medical Association. No changes, deletions or additions may be made to the work.

Other Practice Options

Get information about other practice options, including solo practice, group practice and academic institution.